Fat Teens Exercise as Often as Thin Ones and Make Healthier Food Choices
By Jane St. Clair
A new study from the University of British Columbia upsets some myths about overweight teenagers by concluding:
1. There is no link between body mass index (BMI) and levels of physical activity. In other words, lean teens exercise on par with their heavier classmates.
2. Physically active teens do not eat healthier diets than their less active counterparts.
3. Teens with higher BMIs (those who are heavier than average) make healthier food choices than their leaner counterparts.
Dr. Catherine Sabiston of McGill University and her colleagues studied over 900 students, 15 to 18 years old in grades 10 through 12.
"This study drives home the point that we as a society are focused on extrinsic things like appearance and weight versus betterment of health," she wrote in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
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